He will be “Bishop emeritus of Rome”; he will not return to being a Cardinal.

I had been mulling over in my mind that vision of the three seers of Fatima in which they saw “a bishop dressed in white” whom they believed to be the Pope. That phrase has always been an enigma to Fatima scholars. But if our present Holy Father is that Pope of the 3rd secret, than the phrase would make perfect sense. What remains to be seen is whether His Holiness will continue to wear white. The whole thing is so apocalyptic and almost surreal.

As of March 1, the proper address for Joseph Ratzinger will remain “His Holiness Benedict XVI,” as announced by Cardinal Francesco Coccopalmerio, president of the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts, a sort of constitutional court making the authentic interpretation of the rules legal.

Speaking to the newspaper “Corriere della Sera”, the Italian Cardinal said that in a similar way as retired bishops and archbishops, Joseph Ratzinger will also be ” bishop emeritus of Rome.” However, he will not return to being Cardinal, the position he left in accepting the papacy in April 2005.

The Vatican’s top lawyer also announced that the provisions which the Pope may approve in the coming days to allow for an earlier conclave if so wish the cardinals, “will not be a reform of the Apostolic Constitution Universi Dominici Gregis but will merely be a derogation of an Article only for this specific case.” The reason is that “there is not sufficient time to deal with a modification of the Apostolic Constitution.”

Opposition to convening an earlier Conclave

More and more prominent Cardinals are opposed to advancing the start of the conclave. They believe that time is required for study and discussion to better understand what has developed in the Roman Curia in recent years, and to think through any necessary remedies, so that the next pope has in his hands a more effective instrument, so that he will not be left with surprises and disappointments as has happened too many times in this pontificate.